Maintenance-free respirator that has concave portions on opposing sides of mask top section

ABSTRACT

A maintenance-free respirator  10  that includes a mask harness and a mask body  11 . The mask body  11  has at least one layer of filter media  56  and has a perimeter  32  that includes an upper segment  34 . The upper segment  34  includes first and second concave segments  36, 38  that are located, respectively, on first and second sides of a central plane  40 , when viewing the mask body from a top view. A maintenance-free respirator  10  of this configuration is comfortable to wear and can provide a snug fit to a wearer&#39;s face, particularly beneath each of the wearer&#39;s eyes, while at the same time having an ability to improve compatibility with various protective eyewear.

The present invention pertains to a maintenance-free respirator that hasa perimeter that includes first and second concave segments that arelocated on the top section of the mask body. The concave segments aredisposed on opposing sides of a central plane that bisects the maskbody.

BACKGROUND

Maintenance-free respirators (sometimes referred to as “filtering facemasks” or “filtering face pieces”) are worn over the breathing passagesof a person for two common purposes: (1) to prevent impurities orcontaminants from entering the wearer's breathing track; and (2) toprotect other persons or things from being exposed to pathogens andother contaminants exhaled by the wearer. In the first situation, themaintenance-free respirator is worn in an environment where the aircontains particles that are harmful to the wearer, for example, in anauto body shop. In the second situation, the respirator is worn in anenvironment where there is risk of contamination to others persons orthings, for example, in an operating room or clean room.

Unlike respirators that use rubber or elastomeric mask bodies andattachable filter cartridges or insert-molded filter elements (see,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,306 to Braun), maintenance-free respiratorshave the filter media incorporated into the mask body so that there isno need for installing or replacing filter cartridges. As such,maintenance-free respirators are relatively light in weight and easy touse.

To achieve either of the purposes noted above, the maintenance-freerespirator should be comfortable and be able to maintain a snug fit whenplaced on the wearer's face. Known maintenance-free respirators can, forthe most part, match the contour of a person's face over the cheeks andchin. In the nose region, however, there is a complex change in contour,which makes a snug fit more challenging to achieve, particularly overthe nose and beneath each eye of the wearer. Failure to obtain a snugfit on this part of a wearer's face can allow air to enter or exit therespirator interior without passing through the filter media. If such anevent were to occur, contaminants could possibly enter the wearer'sbreathing track or other persons or things could be exposed tocontaminants exhaled by the wearer. In addition, the wearer's eyewearmay become fogged, which, of course, makes visibility more troublesometo the wearer and creates unsafe conditions for the user and others.

Maintenance-free respirator users often also need to wear protectiveeyewear. When wearing a respirator in conjunction with protectiveeyewear, there sometimes can be conflicts between these two personalsafety articles. The respirator may, for example, hinder the eyewearfrom properly resting on the wearer's face.

Nose clips are commonly used on respirators to achieve a snug fit overthe wearer's nose. Conventional nose clips have used a malleable,linear, strip of aluminum—see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,307,796,4,600,002, 3,603,315; see also U.K. Patent Application GB 2,103,491 A.More recent products have used an “M” shaped band of malleable metal toimprove fit in the nose area—see U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,089 and Des.412,573 to Castiglione—or spring loaded and deformable plastics—see U.S.Publication No. US2007/0044803A1 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/236,283. Nose foams also have been used on the top section of themask to improve wearer comfort and fit—see U.S. patent application Ser.Nos. 11/553,082 and 11/459,949.

Although nose clips and nose foams do assist in improving comfort and inproviding a snug fit over the wearer's nose, there nonetheless may beroom for improvement in comfort and fit in the region beneath each ofthe wearer's eyes. If such improvements in comfort and fit can beachieved by altering the structure of the mask body, the respiratorwearer is less likely to displace the mask from their face when in acontaminated environment. Fit improvements also may help alleviateconflicts between maintenance-free respirators and protective eyewear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to improving the compatibility betweenmaintenance-free respirators and protective eyewear while stillachieving a snug fit over the wearer's nose and eyes. The inventivemaintenance-free respirator comprises a mask body that includes at leastone layer of filter media. The mask body also has a perimeter thatincludes an upper segment that has first and second concave segmentslocated, respectively, on first and second sides of a central plane whenviewing the mask body from a top view. A harness is secured to the maskbody so that it can be supported on a wearer's face.

The present invention differs from conventional respirators in that themask body is sculpted along the upper segment of the perimeter. The maskbody includes first and second concave segments that are located onopposing sides of a central plane that bisects a top view of the mask.The concave segments resemble “dips” or “cut-outs” in the path traced bythe mask body perimeter when viewed through a plane projected onto thetop of the mask body (see FIG. 5 a). In conventional maintenance-freerespirators, the perimeter primarily exhibited only a generally straightline or perhaps a constant arc when viewed through such a plane. Byreconfiguring the mask body over the nose region and beneath the eyes,the inventors discovered that a good, comfortable, snug fit may beachieved while also preventing fogging of the wearer's eyewear andimproving the compatibility between a maintenance-free respirator andthe protective eyewear.

Glossary

As used in this document, the following terms are defined as set below:

“central plane” means a plane that bisects the mask normally orperpendicular to its crosswise dimension;

“clean air” means a volume of atmospheric ambient air that has beenfiltered to remove contaminants;

“comprises (or comprising)” means its definition as is standard inpatent terminology, being an open-ended term that is generallysynonymous with “includes”, “having”, or “containing”. Although“comprises”, “includes”, “having”, and “containing” and variationsthereof are commonly-used, open-ended terms, this invention also may besuitably described using narrower terms such as “consists essentiallyof”, which is semi open-ended term in that it excludes only those thingsor elements that would have a deleterious effect on the performance ofthe inventive maintenance-free respirator in serving its intendedfunction;

“concave” means that a line tangent to the path of the perimeter segmentdecreases in slope and then increases in slope when moving along theperimeter path from left to right in the “y” direction (FIG. 5 a);

“contaminants” means particles (including dusts, mists, and fumes)and/or other substances that generally may not be considered to beparticles (e.g., organic vapors, et cetera) but which may be suspendedin air, including air in an exhale flow stream;

“crosswise dimension” is the dimension that extends across a wearer'snose when the respirator is worn; it is synonymous with the “lengthwise”dimension of the mask body (“y” direction noted in FIG. 5 a);

“exterior gas space” means the ambient atmospheric gas space into whichexhaled gas enters after passing through and beyond the mask body and/orexhalation valve;

“filter” or “filtration layer” means one or more layers of material,which layer(s) is adapted for the primary purpose of removingcontaminants (such as particles) from an air stream that passes throughit;

“filter media” means an air-permeable structure that is designed toremove contaminants from air that passes through it;

“harness” means a structure or combination of parts that assists insupporting a mask body on a wearer's face;

“interior gas space” means the space between a mask body and a person'sface;

“line of demarcation” means a fold, seam, weld line, bond line, stitchline, hinge line, and/or any combination thereof;

“maintenance-free” means that the mask body itself is designed to filterair that passes through it—there are no separately identifiable filtercartridges or inserted-molded filter elements attached to or molded intothe mask body to achieve this purpose;

“mask body” means an air-permeable structure that can fit at least overthe nose and mouth of a person and that helps define an interior gasspace separated from an exterior gas space;

“molded” means causing the element being molded (for example, theshaping layer) to take on a predefined form after being exposed to heatand/or pressure;

“nose clip” means a mechanical device—other than a nose foam—whichdevice is adapted for use on a mask body to improve the seal at leastaround a wearer's nose;

“nose foam” means a foam-type material that is adapted for placement onthe interior of a mask body to improve fit and/or wearer comfort overthe nose when the respirator is being worn by a person;

“nose region” means the portion that resides over a person's nose whenthe respirator is worn;

“perimeter” means the outer edge of the mask body, which outer edgewould be disposed proximate to a wearer's face when the respirator isbeing donned by a person;

“respirator” means a device that is worn by a person to filter airbefore the air enters the wearer's respiratory system;

“shaping layer” means a layer that has sufficient structural integrityto retain its desired shape (and the shape of other layers that aresupported by it) under normal handling;

“top section” means the portion that is located on the upper half of themask body and that would extend over the nose and beneath the eyes whenthe respirator is being worn;

“top view” means the view that when projected onto a plane (as seen inFIG. 5 a) the perimeter or rear of the mask body is located towards thetop of the page and the front faces the bottom;

“upper segment” means the part of the perimeter that extends over thenose region and under the wearer's eyes when the respirator is beingworn; and

“without any imposed conformance from a deformed nose clip” means thatthe mask has this shape without it being deformed or shaped through noseclip deformation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary respirator 10 inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the respirator 10 in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of the respirator mask body 11 inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a right side view of the respirator 10 in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 5 a illustrates a top view of the mask body 11 in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 5 b is an enlarged view of the top view first concave segment 36shown in FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of the mask body 11 in a foldedcondition;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the mask body 11 taken along lines7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b show enlarged cross-sections of the central and toppanels, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the practice of the present invention, a new maintenance-freerespiratory mask is provided which addresses the need for improvedcomfort and fit in the top section of the mask. In so doing, theinventive respirator is given a perimeter that includes an upper segmentthat comprises first and second concave segments. These concave segmentsare located respectively on first and second sides of a bisectingcentral plane when viewing the mask body from a top view. The first andsecond concave segments may be provided as “cut-outs” from theconfiguration of known prior art masks such as the 3M Brand 9000 Seriesflat fold mask.

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an example of a new flat-fold, maintenance-free,respiratory mask 10 that includes a mask body 11 that has a top sectionor panel 12, a central panel 14, and a bottom panel 16. The panels 12,14, and 16 are illustrated in an open condition—that is, the respirator10 is ready for donning by a person. The central panel 14 is separatedfrom the top panel 12 and the bottom panel 16 by first and second linesof demarcation 18 and 20. The top and bottom panels 12 and 16 may eachbe folded inward towards the backside of the central panel 14 when themask is being stored (FIGS. 6-7) and may be opened outward for placementon a wearer's face (FIGS. 1-5). When the mask body 11 is taken from itsopen configuration to its closed configuration or vice versa, the topand bottom panels 12 and 16, respectively, rotate about the first andsecond lines of demarcation 18 and 20. In this sense, the first andsecond lines of demarcation 18 and 20 act as first and second hinges oraxis, respectively, for the top and bottom panels 12 and 16. Therespirator 10 may also be provided with first and second flanges or tabs22 and 24 that provide a region for securement of a harness that mayinclude straps or elastic bands 26. U.S. Pat. D449,377 to Henderson etal. shows an example of tabs that can be used as strap securementregions. The straps or bands 26 may be stapled, glued, welded, orotherwise secured to the mask body 11 at each flange 22, 24 to hold themask body 11 against the wearer's face. An example of a compressionelement that could be used to fasten a harness to a mask body usingultrasonic welding is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,729,332 and6,705,317 to Castiglione. The band could also be welded directly to themask body without using a separate attachment element—see U.S. Pat. No.6,332,465 to Xue et al. Examples of other harnesses that could possiblybe used are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,568 to Brostrom et al. andU.S. Pat. No. 5,237,986 to Seppala et al. and in EP 608684A to Brostromet al. The top panel 12 may include a nose clip 28 that is made from amalleable strip of metal such as aluminum, which metal strip can beconformed by mere finger pressure to adapt the respirator to theconfiguration of the wearer's face in the nose region. Suitable noseclips are cited above in the Background section. The nose clip can bedisposed on the mask exterior or interior or may be disposed between thevarious layers that comprise the mask body.

As shown in FIG. 3, the respirator 10 may also include a nose foam 30that is disposed inwardly along the mask body perimeter 32 of the toppanel 12. Examples of suitable nose foams are also mentioned above inthe Background section of this document. The nose foam could extendaround the whole inner perimeter of the mask body and could include athermochromic fit-indicating material that contacts the wearer's facewhen the mask is worn. Heat from the facial contact causes thethermochromic material to change color to allow the wearer to determineif a proper fit has been established—see U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,749 toSpringett et al. The mask body 11 also can have its intrinsic structurealtered in the top section to increase pressure drop in that portion ofthe mask body so that eyewear fogging is less likely to occur—seecopending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitledMaintenance-Free Anti-Fog Respirator, filed on the same day as thepresent document under attorney case number 63051US002.

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b show that the mask body perimeter 32 has an uppersegment 34 that comprises first and second concave segments 36 and 38that are located, respectively, on first and second sides of a centralplane 40 when viewing the mask body 11 through a plane projected onto atop view of the respirator. The nose clip 28 and the arrow line thatrepresents the length of the upper segment 34 of the perimeter extendsin the crosswise dimension of the mask body 11. The mask body perimeter32 is shaped to contact the wearer's face over the nose bridge, acrossand around the cheeks, and under the chin. The mask body 11 forms anenclosed space around the nose and mouth of the wearer and can take on acurved, projected shape that resides in spaced relation to a wearer'sface. Examples of other mask body shapes are shown in U.S. Pat. No.7,131,442 to Kronzer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,182 to Angadjivand etal., U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,090 to Chen et al. (and D448,472 and D443,927to Chen), U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,366 to Bostock et al., RE37,974 to Bowers,U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,924 to Japuntich, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,347 toSkov. The central plane 40 bisects the nose region 41 of the mask 11such that symmetry is generally provided on each side of the plane 40.Moving along the upper segment 34 of the perimeter line 32 from the leftside of the mask body 11 to the right side in the “y” direction, a linetangent to the upper segment of the perimeter decreases in slope at theonset of the first concave segment 36 relative to a previous tangentline and then begins to increase in slope relative to a previous tangentline moving along the upper segment of the perimeter towards the noseregion 41. At the midsection of the mask, noted by plane 40, the tangentto the perimeter 32 is neutral or parallel to the “y” axis. On the otherside of the central plane 40, a line tangent to the upper segment 34 ofthe perimeter decreases in slope and then increases again relative to aprevious tangent line moving along the upper segment 34 towards the endon the right side. In each concave segment 36 and 38, the slope of aline tangent to the upper segment of the perimeter may, but notnecessarily, include both a negative and positive slope. In the firstconcave segment 36, the slope of the tangent to the perimeter may beslightly negative before becoming positive (moving in the “y”direction). In the second concave segment 38, the slope of a linetangent to the upper segment 34 of the perimeter 32 may be negativebefore becoming slightly positive (moving along the perimeter in the “y”direction).

From the beginning of the perimeter 32 of upper segment 34 at point 42to the opposing end point 44, there are five inflection points. Thefirst inflection point 46 is located where the slope of the line tangentto the perimeter 32 begins to decrease; the second inflection point 48occurs where the slope of the tangent begins to increase again; thethird inflection point 49 is located approximately where the plane 40bisects the mask body; the fourth inflection 50 occurs where the slopeof the tangent begins to increase again; and the fifth inflection 52occurs where the slope of the tangent begins to decrease again. The maskbody 11 can exhibit the sculpted configuration along the upper segment34 of the perimeter without any imposed conformance from a deformed noseclip.

As shown in FIG. 5 b, each concave segment 36 (and 38) has a chord lineLc that extends between inflection points 46 (and 52), respectively, andthe central plane 40. The chord line Lc has a length that is about 3 to7 centimeters (cm), preferably about 4 to 6 cm, and more preferablyabout 5 cm. The path length Lp of the perimeter 32 of the first andsecond segments 36 (and 38) is typically about 0.5 to 5 millimeters (mm)greater than the chord length Lc, and typically is about 1 to 3 mmgreater than Lc.

The depth d of each concave segment 36, 38 is about 2 to 11 millimeters,more typically about, 4 to 9 mm, and yet more typically about 5 to 7 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mask body 11 may be folded flat forstorage. When placed in a folded condition, the top and bottom panels 12and 16 may be folded inwardly towards a rear surface 53 of the centralpanel 14. Typically, the bottom panel 16 is folded inwardly before thetop panel 12. The lower panel 16 may be folded back upon itself as shownin FIG. 7 so that it can be more easily grasped when opening the maskbody from its folded condition. Each of the panels may include furtherfolds, seams, pleats, ribs, etc. to assist furnishing the mask withstructure and/or distinctive appearance. One or more tabs may beincluded along the perimeter 32 to assist in opening the mask body 11from its folded condition to its open ready-to-use condition—see U.S.patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled Maintenance-Free Flat-FoldRespirator That Includes A Graspable Tab filed on the same day as thesubject document under attorney case number 62914US002.

As shown in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b, the mask body may comprise a plurality oflayers. These layers may include an inner and outer cover web 54, afiltration layer 56, a stiffening layer 58, and an outer cover web 60.Maintenance-free respirators of a flat-fold configuration can bemanufactured according to the process described in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,123,077, 6,484,722, 6,536,434, 6,568,392, 6,715,489, 6,722,366,6,886,563, 7,069,930, and US Patent Publication No. US2006/0180152A1 andEP0814871B1 to Bostock et al.

The mask body may include a shaping layer if it is molded into itsdesired cup-shaped configuration for donning. The layers that comprisethe mask body may be joined together at the perimeter using varioustechniques, including adhesive bonding and ultrasonic welding. Examplesof suitable bond patterns are shown in U.S. Pat. D416,323 to Hendersonet al. Descriptions of these various layers and how they may beconstructed are set forth below.

Stiffening Layer

The mask body may optionally include a stiffening layer in one or moreof the mask panels. The purpose of the stiffening layer is, as its nameimplies, to increase the stiffness of the panel(s) or parts of the maskbody relative to other panels or parts. Stiffer panels may help supportthe mask body off of the face of the user. The stiffening layer may belocated in any combination of the panels but is preferably located inthe central panel of the mask body. Giving support to the center of themask helps prevent the mask body from collapsing onto the nose and mouthof the user when in use, while leaving the top and bottom panelsrelatively compliant to aid sealing to the wearer's face. The stiffeninglayer may be positioned at any point within the layered construction ofthe panel and typically is juxtaposed against the outer cover web.

The stiffening layer can be formed from any number of web basedmaterials. These materials may include open mesh like structures orfibrous webs made of any number of commonly available polymers,including polypropylene, polyethylene, and the like. The stiffeninglayer also could be derived from a spun bond web based material, againmade from either polypropylene or polyethylene. The distinguishingproperty of the stiffening layer is that its stiffness relative to theother layers within the mask body is greater.

Filtration Layer

Filter layers used in a mask body of the invention can be of a particlecapture or gas and vapor type. The filter layer also may be a barrierlayer that prevents the transfer of liquid from one side of the filterlayer to another to prevent, for instance, liquid aerosols or liquidsplashes from penetrating the filter layer. Multiple layers of similaror dissimilar filter types may be used to construct the filtration layerof the invention as the application requires. Filters that may bebeneficially employed in a layered mask body of the invention aregenerally low in pressure drop (for example, less than about 20 to 30 mmH₂O at a face velocity of 13.8 centimeters per second) to minimize thebreathing work of the mask wearer. Filtration layers additionally areflexible and have sufficient shear strength so that they generallyretain their structure under the expected use conditions. Generally theshear strength is less than that either the adhesive or shaping layers.Examples of particle capture filters include one or more webs of fineinorganic fibers (such as fiberglass) or polymeric synthetic fibers.Synthetic fiber webs may include electret charged polymeric microfibersthat are produced from processes such as meltblowing. Polyolefinmicrofibers formed from polypropylene that has been electret charged toprovide particular utility for particulate capture applications. Analternate filter layer may comprise an sorbent component for removinghazardous or odorous gases from the breathing air. Sorbents may includepowders or granules that are bound in a filter layer by adhesives,binders, or fibrous structures—see U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,373 to Braun. Asorbent layer can be formed by coating a substrate, such as fibrous orreticulated foam, to form a thin coherent layer. Sorbent materials mayinclude activated carbons that are chemically treated or not, porousalumna-silica catalyst substrates, and alumna particles.

The filtration layer is typically chosen to achieve a desired filteringeffect and, generally, removes a high percentage of particles and/or orother contaminants from the gaseous stream that passes through it. Forfibrous filter layers, the fibers selected depend upon the kind ofsubstance to be filtered and, typically, are chosen so that they do notbecome bonded together during the molding operation. As indicated, thefiltration layer may come in a variety of shapes and forms. It typicallyhas a thickness of about 0.2 millimeters (mm) to 1 centimeter (cm), moretypically about 0.3 millimeters to 0.5 cm, and it could be a planar webcoextensive with a shaping or stiffening layer, or it could be acorrugated web that has an expanded surface area relative to the shapinglayer—see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,804,295 and 5,656,368 to Braunet al. The filtration layer also may include multiple layers of filtermedia joined together by an adhesive component. Essentially any suitablematerial that is known for forming a filtering layer of a direct-moldedrespiratory mask may be used for the filtering material. Webs ofmelt-blown fibers, such as taught in Wente, Van A., SuperfineThermoplastic Fibers, 48 Indus. Engn. Chem., 1342 et seq. (1956),especially when in a persistent electrically charged (electret) form areespecially useful (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,682 to Kubik etal.). These melt-blown fibers may be microfibers that have an effectivefiber diameter less than about 20 micrometers (μm) (referred to as BMFfor “blown microfiber”), typically about 1 to 12 μm. Effective fiberdiameter may be determined according to Davies, C. N., The Separation OfAirborne Dust Particles, Institution Of Mechanical Engineers, London,Proceedings 1B, 1952. Particularly preferred are BMF webs that containfibers formed from polypropylene, poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), andcombinations thereof. Electrically charged fibrillated-film fibers astaught in van Turnhout, U.S. Pat. Re. 31,285, may also be suitable, aswell as rosin-wool fibrous webs and webs of glass fibers orsolution-blown, or electrostatically sprayed fibers, especially inmicrofilm form. Electric charge can be imparted to the fibers bycontacting the fibers with water as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,718to Eitzman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,574 to Angadjivand et al., U.S.Pat. No. 6,743,464 to Insley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,986 and U.S.Pat. No. 6,406,657 to Eitzman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,886 andU.S. Pat. No. 5,496,507 to Angadjivand et al. Electric charge may alsobe impacted to the fibers by corona charging as disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,588,537 to Klasse et al. or tribocharging as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,798,850 to Brown. Also, additives can be included in thefibers to enhance the filtration performance of webs produced throughthe hydro-charging process (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,598 to Rousseau etal.). Fluorine atoms, in particular, can be disposed at the surface ofthe fibers in the filter layer to improve filtration performance in anoily mist environment—see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,847 B1, 6,397,458 B1, and6,409,806 B1 to Jones et al. Typical basis weights for electret BMFfiltration layers are about 15 to 100 grams per square meter. Whenelectrically charged according to techniques described in, for example,the '507 patent, and when including fluorine atoms as mentioned in theJones et al. patents, the basis weight may be about 20 to 40 g/m² andabout 10 to 30 g/m², respectively.

Cover Web

An inner cover web could be used to provide a smooth surface forcontacting the wearer's face, and an outer cover web could be used toentrap loose fibers in the mask body or for aesthetic reasons. A coverweb typically does not provide any significant shape retention to themask body. To obtain a suitable degree of comfort, an inner cover webpreferably has a comparatively low basis weight and is formed fromcomparatively fine fibers. More particularly, the cover web may befashioned to have a basis weight of about 5 to 50 g/m² (typically 10 to30 g/m²), and the fibers are less than 3.5 denier (typically less than 2denier, and more typically less than 1 denier). Fibers used in the coverweb often have an average fiber diameter of about 5 to 24 micrometers,typically of about 7 to 18 micrometers, and more typically of about 8 to12 micrometers.

The cover web material may be suitable for use in the molding procedureby which the mask body is formed, and to that end, advantageously, has adegree of elasticity (typically, but not necessarily, 100 to 200% atbreak) or is plastically deformable.

Suitable materials for the cover web are blown microfiber (BMF)materials, particularly polyolefin BMF materials, for examplepolypropylene BMF materials (including polypropylene blends and alsoblends of polypropylene and polyethylene). A suitable process forproducing BMF materials for a cover web is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,013,816 to Sabee et al. The web may be formed by collecting the fiberson a smooth surface, typically a smooth-surfaced drum.

A typical cover web may be made from polypropylene or apolypropylene/polyolefin blend that contains 50 weight percent or morepolypropylene. These materials have been found to offer high degrees ofsoftness and comfort to the wearer and also, when the filter material isa polypropylene BMF material, to remain secured to the filter materialafter the molding operation without requiring an adhesive between thelayers. Typical materials for the cover web are polyolefin BMF materialsthat have a basis weight of about 15 to 35 grams per square meter (g/m²)and a fiber denier of about 0.1 to 3.5, and are made by a processsimilar to that described in the '816 patent. Polyolefin materials thatare suitable for use in a cover web may include, for example, a singlepolypropylene, blends of two polypropylenes, and blends of polypropyleneand polyethylene, blends of polypropylene and poly(4-methyl-1-pentene),and/or blends of polypropylene and polybutylene. One example of a fiberfor the cover web is a polypropylene BMF made from the polypropyleneresin “Escorene 3505G” from Exxon Corporation and having a basis weightof about 25 g/m² and a fiber denier in the range 0.2 to 3.1 (with anaverage, measured over 100 fibers of about 0.8). Another suitable fiberis a polypropylene/polyethylene BMF (produced from a mixture comprising85 percent of the resin “Escorene 3505G” and 15 percent of theethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer “Exact 4023” also from ExxonCorporation) having a basis weight 25 g/m² and an average fiber denierof about 0.8. Other suitable materials may include spunbond materialsavailable, under the trade designations “Corosoft Plus 20”, “CorosoftClassic 20” and “Corovin PP-S-14”, from Corovin GmbH of Peine, Germany,and a carded polypropylene/viscose material available, under the tradedesignation “370/15”, from J.W. Suominen OY of Nakila, Finland.

Cover webs that are used in the invention preferably have very fewfibers protruding from the surface of the web after processing andtherefore have a smooth outer surface. Examples of cover webs that maybe used in the present invention are disclosed, for example, in U.S.Pat. No. 6,041,782 to Angadjivand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,077 to Bostock etal., and WO 96/28216A to Bostock et al.

Shaping Layer

If the mask body takes on a molded configuration, rather than theillustrated flat-fold configuration, the mask body may contain a shapinglayer that supports a filtration layer on its inner or outer sides. Asecond shaping layer that has the same general shape as the firstshaping layer also could be used on each side of the filtration layer.The shaping layer's function is primarily to maintain the shape of themask body and to support the filtration layer. Although an outer shapinglayer also may function as a coarse initial filter for air that is drawninto the mask, the predominant filtering action of the respirator isprovided by the filter media.

The shaping layers may be formed from at least one layer of fibrousmaterial that can be molded to the desired shape with the use of heatand that retains its shape when cooled. Shape retention is typicallyachieved by causing the fibers to bond to each other at points ofcontact between them, for example, by fusion or welding. Any suitablematerial known for making a shape-retaining layer of a direct-moldedrespiratory mask may be used to form the mask shell, including a mixtureof synthetic staple fiber, preferably crimped, and bicomponent staplefiber. Bicomponent fiber is a fiber that includes two or more distinctregions of fibrous material, typically distinct regions of polymericmaterials. Typical bicomponent fibers include a binder component and astructural component. The binder component allows the fibers of theshape-retaining shell to be bonded together at fiber intersection pointswhen heated and cooled. During heating, the binder component flows intocontact with adjacent fibers. The shape-retaining layer can be preparedfrom fiber mixtures that include staple fiber and bicomponent fiber in aweight-percent ratios that may range, for example, from 0/100 to about75/25. Preferably, the material includes at least 50 weight-percentbicomponent fiber to create a greater number of intersection bondingpoints, which, in turn, increase the resilience and shape retention ofthe shell.

Suitable bicomponent fibers that may be used in the shaping layerinclude, for example, side-by-side configurations, concentricsheath-core configurations, and elliptical sheath-core configurations.One suitable bicomponent fiber is the polyester bicomponent fiberavailable, under the trade designation “KOSA T254” (12 denier, length 38mm), from Kosa of Charlotte, N.C., U.S.A., which may be used incombination with a polyester staple fiber, for example, that availablefrom Kosa under the trade designation “T259” (3 denier, length 38 mm)and possibly also a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber, for example,that available from Kosa under the trade designation “T295” (15 denier,length 32 mm). The bicomponent fiber also may comprise a generallyconcentric sheath-core configuration having a core of crystalline PETsurrounded by a sheath of a polymer formed from isophthalate andterephthalate ester monomers. The latter polymer is heat softenable at atemperature lower than the core material. Polyester has advantages inthat it can contribute to mask resiliency and can absorb less moisturethan other fibers.

The shaping layer also can be prepared without bicomponent fibers. Forexample, fibers of a heat-flowable polyester can be included togetherwith staple, preferably crimped, fibers in a shaping layer so that, uponheating of the web material, the binder fibers can melt and flow to afiber intersection point where it forms a mass, that upon cooling of thebinder material, creates a bond at the intersection point. A mesh or netof polymeric strands also could be used in lieu of thermally bondablefibers. An example of this type of a structure is described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,850,347 to Skov.

When a fibrous web is used as the material for the shape-retainingshell, the web can be conveniently prepared on a “Rando Webber”air-laying machine (available from Rando Machine Corporation, Macedon,N.Y.) or a carding machine. The web can be formed from bicomponentfibers or other fibers in conventional staple lengths suitable for suchequipment. To obtain a shape-retaining layer that has the requiredresiliency and shape-retention, the layer preferably has a basis weightof at least about 100 g/m², although lower basis weights are possible.Higher basis weights, for example, approximately 150 or more than 200g/m², may provide greater resistance to deformation. Together with theseminimum basis weights, the shaping layer typically has a maximum densityof about 0.2 g/cm² over the central area of the mask. Typically, theshaping layer has a thickness of about 0.3 to 2.0 mm, more typicallyabout 0.4 to 0.8 mm. Examples of molded maintenance-free respiratorsthat use shaping layers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,442 toKronzer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,182 to Angadjivand et al., U.S. Pat.No. 4,850,347 to Skov; U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,619 to Dyrud et al., and U.S.Pat. No. 4,536,440 to Berg.

Molded maintenance-free respirators also may be made without using aseparate shaping layer to support the filtration layer. In theserespirators, the filtration layer also acts as the shaping layer—seeU.S. Pat. No. 6,827,764 to Springett et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,256to Krueger et al.

The respirator also may include an optional exhalation valve that allowsfor the easy exhalation of air by the user. Exhalation valves thatexhibit an extraordinary low pressure drop during an exhalation aredescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,188,622, 7,028,689, and 7,013,895 toMartin et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,117,868, 6,854,463, 6,843,248, and5,325,892 to Japuntich et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,518 toMittelstadt et al. The exhalation valve may be secured to the centralpanel, preferably near the middle of the central panel, by a variety ofmeans including sonic welds, adhesion bonding, mechanical clamping, andthe like—see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,069,931, 7,007,695,6,959,709, and 6,604,524 to Curran et al. and EP1,030,721 to Williams etal.

Eyewear Compatibility Study

This study is carried out to determine the amount of physical overlapbetween a maintenance-free respirator and protective eyewear and toevaluate compatibility between the two items of personal protectiveequipment (PPE). Both the conventional and inventive respirators arefitted onto separate Sheffield dummy heads as used in EN149:2001European Standard. Various safety eyewear is then fitted to theSheffield dummy head across the nose bridge region. Digital photographsare then taken of each combination of conventional respirator and thesafety eyewear, as well as the inventive respirator and the safetyeyewear, to enable an observation of overlap between the two items ofPPE. The conventional respirator that was used for comparative purposeswas a 3M Brand 9322 respirator available from the 3M Company,Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division, St. Paul, Minn.This respirator has a configuration similar to the respirator shown inU.S. Pat. D449,377 to Henderson et al., Des. 424,688 to Bryant et al.,and Des. 416,323 Henderson et al. The inventive maintenance-freerespirator had the following construction:

EXAMPLE Top and Bottom Panels:

One 50 grams per square meter (gsm) spunbond polypropylene coverweb,Type 1050B1U00, available from Don and Low Nonwovens, Forfar, Scotland,United Kingdom (Outer layer);

Two electrically-charged, melt blown polypropylene microfiber filterlayers having a basis weight of 100 g/m, an effective fiber diameter of7 to 8 microns, and a thickness of about 1 mm; and

Smooth melt blown polypropylene microfiber (inner layer).

Central Panel:

One 90 gram per meter (gsm) spunbond polypropylene XAVAN 5261WStiffening layer (inserted immediately under the outer cover web;available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Luxembourg, France).

Mask Assembly:

Lengths of these panel constructions are laid up in to 5 meter (m)strips and die-cut using an hydraulic swing press into the correctshapes (approx 350 mm by 300 mm) for each of the three panels. The top,bottom, and the central panel blanks are each individually cut.

The bottom panel was placed into an ultrasonic welding machine such thatthe cut profiled edge of the panel is positioned over the weld anvil.The welding machine was cycled with the weld time set at 500milliseconds (ms), and the bottom panel weld was completed.

The upper panel was processed in the same way using an ultrasonic weldpress set at the same setting but with a weld anvil to match the uppercut edge profile. Further finishing operation were then performed to fita strip of 25 mm wide open cell polyurethane nose foam to the outersurface of the inner web adjacent to the welded profiled edge. This wasthen cut to match the profile of the upper panel edge. A strip of 5mm×0.7 mm×140 mm malleable aluminum was fixed to the inner surface ofthe outer cover web using a hot-melt adhesive.

The center panel blank was positioned onto an ultrasonic welder press,and the valve hole was cut. An exhalation valve was then inserted in thewelder and the welder, set to 600 ms weld time, was cycled again to weldthe valve at the opening.

All three panels were now complete and ready to be combined to producethe mask body of the respirator.

Utilizing an ultrasonic welding press that had a welding anvil of aprofile that matched the perimeter weld, all three panels were joinedtogether. The center panel was first laid across the weld anvil usinglocating marks to position the center panel relative perimeter profile,with the valve facing downwards and smooth BMF facing upwards. The weldanvil was mounted on a traversing bed, such that it could be moved backand forth, under the weld horn. The lower panel was then located usinglocating marks across the center panel with the outer web facingupwards. The upper panel was then positioned across the center panel andthe lower panel using location marks, with the outer web facing upwards.All the panels were then joined together starting with the lower panelto the center panel. The welding cycle was then initiated for weldingthe lower panel to the center panel by positioning the anvil under thewelding horn. This was repeated for the upper panel. The dimensions ofLc, Lp, and d shown in FIG. 5 b had the dimensions of 49 mm, 50 mm, and6 mm, respectively.

The mask body was complete and the harness headbands were attached. Twopolyisoprene bands about 21 cm long were cut to match the mask bodylength in the crosswise dimension. Utilizing a manual staple gun, andorientating the mask body so that the staple legs, when penetrating themask body, will fold over on the outer surface, the headband was stapledat either extremity of the product. This operation was conducted twice,offering an upper and lower headband, on the back of the product.

In making a respirator of this example, reference also may be made tothe Bostock et al. patents cited above.

The inventive respirator was donned by a number of individuals at the 3MCompany and was found to make a snug fit to the wearer's face.

The inventive respirator also was subjected to the Eyewear CompatibilityStudy for 19 different types of eyewear. The test results are set forthbelow in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Eyewear Compatibility Safety Eyewear Brand Test Result 3M 2720Eliminated 3M 2730 Eliminated 3M 2740 Reduced AOS Elys Reduced AOS 3000Eliminated AOS X sport Eliminated Bolle Axis Eliminated Bolle FriscoReduced Crews Storm Reduced Galileo Alligator Reduced Galileo RaptorEliminated Pulsafe Milenia Eliminated Pulsafe Optema Eliminated PulsafeXC Reduced Uvex Cybric Eliminated Uvex Gravity Reduced Uvex Ivo ReducedUves Skylite Reduced Uves Skyper Reduced

The test results show that there was no overlap between the eyewear andthe respirator mask body in half of the tested eyewear. The remaininghalf of the eyewear exhibited reduced overlap. Thus, the compatibilitybetween the two items of PPE was enhanced when compared to an unmodifiedrespirator, which exhibited substantial overlap between the PPE acrossall 19 sets of eyewear.

This invention may take on various modifications and alterations withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, this invention is notlimited to the above-described but is to be controlled by thelimitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalentsthereof.

This invention also may be suitably practiced in the absence of anyelement not specifically disclosed herein.

All patents and patent applications cited above, including those in theBackground section, are incorporated by reference into this document intotal. To the extent that there is a conflict or discrepancy between thedisclosure in such incorporated document and the above specification,the above specification will control.

1. A maintenance-free respirator that comprises: (a) a mask harness; and(b) a mask body that includes at least one layer of filter media, themask body having a perimeter that includes an upper segment thatcomprises first and second concave segments that are located,respectively, on first and second sides of a central plane when viewingthe mask body from a top view.
 2. The maintenance-free respirator ofclaim 1, wherein the mask body can be folded flat and includes aplurality of panels, the panel that resides over the nose and beneaththe wearer's eyes, when the respirator is being worn, having the uppersegment that comprises the first and second concave segments.
 3. Themaintenance-free respirator of claim 1, wherein the perimeter has fiveinflection points located on the upper segment of the perimeter.
 4. Themaintenance-free respirator of claim 1, wherein the slope of a linetangent to the upper segment of the perimeter includes both a negativeand a positive slope in the first and second concave segments.
 5. Themaintenance-free respirator of claim 1, wherein a chord line thatextends across each of the first and second concave segments has alength of about 3 to 7 centimeters.
 6. The maintenance-free respiratorof claim 1, wherein a chord line that extends across each of the firstand second concave segments has a length of about 4 to 6 centimeters. 7.The maintenance-free respirator of claim 6, wherein a chord line thatextends across each of the first and second concave segments has alength of about 5 centimeters.
 8. The maintenance-free respirator ofclaim 6, wherein the path length of the first and second concavesegments is greater than the chord length by about 1 to 3 millimeters.9. The maintenance-free respirator of claim 1, wherein each of the firstand second concave segments have a depth d that is about 2 to 11millimeters.
 10. The maintenance-free respirator of claim 1, whereineach of the first and second concave segments have a depth d that isabout 4 to 9 millimeters.
 11. The maintenance-free respirator of claim1, wherein each of the first and second concave segments have a depth dthat is about 5 to 7 millimeters.
 12. The maintenance-free respirator ofclaim 1, wherein the mask body comprises a stiffening layer, afiltration layer, and a cover web.
 13. The maintenance-free respiratorof claim 1, wherein the mask body comprises a filtration layer, ashaping layer, and a cover web.
 14. A mask body that comprises at leastone filtration layer and that has a perimeter that includes an uppersegment that has first and second concave segments that are located,respectively, on first and second sides of a central plane when viewingthe mask body from a top view.
 15. The mask body of claim 14, whereinthe upper segment has five inflection points located thereon.